Lawn mower



y 1950 w. J. BAYER 2,508,561

LAWN MOWER Filed May 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 1

58 O H O 57 gwuma bom WYATT J. AYE R,

W. J. BAYER May 23, 1950 LAWN MOWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 3, 1946 WYATT Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES .PATENTINOFFICE Wyatt J. Bayer, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 3, 1946, Serial No. 666,913

4 Claims. (Cl. 56-265) This invention relates to lawn mowers, and more particularly to. lawn mowers of the power actuated type.

A main object of the invention is to provide a "novel and improved power-actuated lawn mower which is very simple in structure, very areas and able-to reach inaccessible places under hedges and close to buildings, fences and the.

like, said lawnmower being inexpensive to manufacture and durable in construction.

Further objects and advantages of the inven- 2 ends of clutch sleeves and 26 being formed with respective cooperating clutch jaws 21 and 28 adapted at times to be interlocked to transmit rotation from sleeve 20 to sleeve 26 and thereby to shaft 25. A conventional clutch shifter mechanism comprising a forked clutch shifter rod 21 secured to a ring member 28' isprovided, said ring member 28' being rotatively engaged in a groove 29 formed in sleeve 26. When clutch shifter. rod 21 is moved rearwardly the clutch sleeve 26 is moved rearwardly to engage the clutch jaws 21 and 28. A guide slot 20 is formed in the top wall of the housing I8 to guide the tion willfbecome apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein: v

.Figure v1 is ato plan view, partly in section,

of a lawn mower-device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of the lawn mower device of Figure 1. I

Figure 3 is a detail view in elevation of the cutter actuating mec anism employed in the lawn mower device of Figure 1.

' Referring to the drawings, the illustrated lawn mower device comprises a chassis including a transverse axle housing H in which is mounted an axle l I having ground engaging wheels l2, l2 on its opposite ends. Pi votally-mounted on the forward side;of the axle housing ll at: l3, l3'is a bifurcated handle bar {4 which extends rearwardly from the axle housing I l. Mounted on the axle housing ll is a conventional prime mover 15, such as a gasoline engine, or the like; provided with. a forwardly projecting crankshaft 16 carrying a pulley l1. Secured to chassis H and extending forwardly thereof is a generally cylindrical housing l8. Journalled in the rear portion of housing iii in a roller bearing assembly I9 is a clutch sleeve 20 which is substantially coaxial with housing l8 and formed on its rear end with an integral pulley 2! located substantially in the same transverse vertical plane as pulley IT. A belt 22 drivingly couples pulley I! to pulley 2 I, the rear end portion of the top wall 01' housing I8 being suitably apertured at 23 to provide clearance for the belt.

Journalled in the forward portion of housing 18 by a roller bearing assembl 24 is a shaft 25, coaxial with the housing and turning in sleeve 20.- Splined to shaft 25 and longitudinally slidable thereon is a clutch sleeve 26, the adjacent movement of the clutch shifter rod, said slot havinglateral keeperv portions 3| and 32 to maintain the shifter rod in its clutch engaging and disengaging positions, respectively. v

Secured intermediate its ends to the forward end of shaft 25 is a sector arm 33. The smaller end of the sector arm 33 carries a pin 35 which is eccentric with respect to the shaft 25. .Ro-' tatably and slidably secured to the pin 35 by means of a slot 36', is the inner end of a link 36, the outer end of said link being pivotally secured to the vertical arm 38 of a laterally oscillable rectangular frame 39. Pivotally secured to the pin 35 is the inner end of alink 31, the outer end of which is pivotally secured to-a vertical arm 40 of said frame 39. Frame 39 is supported for lateral oscillating movement in a rectangular outer frame 4| which issecured to the forward end of housing I8, with a spacer frame 42 interposed between said outer frame 4] and the forward end of the housing to provide a space in which sectorarm 33 rotates. I

A front cover plate 43 closes theforward end of outer frame 4| providing a substantially closed housing for the oscillator linkage mechanism.

Oscillator frame 39 is formed with a depend ing vertical arm 44 terminating at its lower end in a ball 45. A slot 46 is formed in the lower portion of outer frame 4| to provide a space for lateral oscillation of the arm 44, said slot being open at 4! to permit assembly of the parts. When shaft 25 is rotated responsive to engagement of driven clutch sleeve 26 with driving clutch sleeve 20, sector arm 33 rotates and oscillates frame 39 laterally. The wide portion 24 of the sector arm acts to counterbalance the fractional drag of the oscillating mechanism and promotes smooth oscillation thereof.

The ball on the lower end of the arm 44 is pivotally engaged in a socket 45' on a transversely extending cutter bar 48formed with cutting outer frame 4| are vertical sleeves 53 in which;

are depending rods 54 having ground engaging rollers on their lower ends,

sleeves whereby the cutter structure'carr be' supported at the desired level above the ground; The ends of the stationary cutter bar 50 are supported by. a vertically adjustable skid members 51,51 which: slide along the ground. as; the lawn mower ispushed f'orwardly and also act as guards to direct the cut grass. away from the uncut grass.

overlying; the movable cutter bar. "are bracket members 581.581 carried bylthe stationary cutter barili adjacent theends thereofiand serving to maintain the movable cutter bar 48 in correct alignment with the stationary cutter bar 50;

Whileaspecific embodiment of a lawn mower structure haslbeen disclosed" in the foregoing. description itwillzbe understood that various modifications within the spirit of" the" invention may occur to those skilledv in-theartr Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed'onthe invention other than as defined bythe scope of the appended'claims. V v

What is claimedis: V l 7 1s A lawn mower comprising a chassis com prising a transversemember having ground engaging wheels at its opposite ends,.a horizontal tubular member projecting forwardly from said transverse member, a transversely elongated eta-V tionary cutter bar mounted 'on the forward end of said tubular member, an endwise movable cutter bar cooperatively mounted along said movable cutter bar,. ground engaging means on the forward end; of said tubular member for supportingsaid-cutter bars'relative'to the ground; drive means'on the forward end of said tubular member operatively connected to said movable cutter bar,a prime mover mountedon saiditransverse. chassis member, a clutch. shaft ,iournalled longitudinally in said tubular member and opera atively connectedl'to said drive-means; s'aid clut'ch shaft comprising axially engageable clutch ele" ments one; of which is operatively c'cnnected'to said prime mover, and" the other non-rotatabl y mountedron said shaft, means for" shifting said other clutch element into and out of engagement withsaid one clutch. element.

Set screws 56 are" provided in each sleeve 53 forfsecuringi the rods 54 in desired vertically adjusted positions in the 2. In a device for converting rotary motion into linear motion, a rotary shaft, a longitudinal pin extending from one end ofsaid shaft eccentrically with respect to the axis of said shaft, a first stationary open frame, a second open frame surrounding said shaft and slidably confined in said first frame for endwise movement transversely with respect to said shaft, links pivoted at one end'to opposite sides ofisaid secondframe, one of said links having its opposite end "slidably" pivoted on said pin, the other of said links having its opposite end pivoted to said pin. 7

3. In combination, a support having longitudinallyspaced ends, a shaft journalled on and extending; between said ends, said shaft having thereon a splined clutch element and a freely revoluble-clutch element, means for moving said splined clutch element into and out of operative engagement along said shaft with said revoluble clutch element, a transversely oscillable member mounted on one" end of said support, drive means operatively' connecting said'sh'aft withsaid transversely oscillable member.

4. In combination; a supporthavin'g longitudinally spaced ends, a shaft journalled on and extending between said. ends, said shaft havin thereon a splined clutch element and a freely'revoluble clutch element, means "for moving said splined clutch element onto andout of operative engagement along said shaft with said revoluble clutch element, a transversely oscillable member mounted on one end ofsaid support; drive means operative'ly connecting said shaft with said transversely oscillable member, said drive'me'ans-comprising a; first frame on said one support end, a second open frame supported for endwiseimove= ment in said first frame and surrounding. said shaft, an eccentric pirr on said shaft; and links each having one end pivoted to opposite'sides of said second frame, one of saidlinks having its opposite end slidably pivoted on said pin, the other of Said links having its opposite end pivoted to said pin.

WYATT J. BAYER.

REFEgENCESf CITED The following references are of record in the file of. this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,876,662" Gravely f Sept. 13; I932 2,099,481 Hildyardi Nov; I6, 1-93! 2,161,357 Kaplan June 6", i939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Gountry I Date 206,638 Switzerland c Dec. 1 1939 

